A friend of mine from Wyoming is trying to persuade me to travel to Nova Scotia for a bike trip this fall. I've heard great things about that Maritime Province and its cycling opportunities—but that's about the extent of it. (Actually, I did visit there when I was very young, on vacation with my family, but I remember zippo about it.)

In an age where high tech seems to rule the day, I advocate for the use of the low tech, namely paper maps. I know GPS is all the rage among a certain circle of cyclists. There is also a world of online mapping options, which can be very useful, especially when making your plans in the comfort of your home. However, I believe Adventure Cycling's paper maps have the edge on the road and technology, such as a GPS unit, should be considered supplemental.

Many words have been said and written about June Curry, the Cookie Lady of Afton, Virginia, and the namesake of our Trail Angel Award. Since Bikecentennial in 1976, she has been greeting and feeding TransAmerica Trail cyclists at what has become known as the "Bike House". It is chock full of memorabilia including endless Polaroid shots of cyclists and the post cards that they have sent her from the road.

We're not sure about the genesis of the term "bikepacking," but we at Adventure Cycling have been using it off and on since the beginng days of Bikecentennial, and that includes utilizing it extensively to describe the type of riding you'll find on the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route.